New Brunswickers head to polls to elect new provincial government

It's election day in New Brunswick.

Voters in the province have until 8 p.m. to cast their ballots to help determine which party will govern — and whether it will have a majority in the legislature.

Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs is hoping to win a third term in office, which would make him the first premier to pull that off since Liberal Frank McKenna's victory in 1995.

Higgs has promised to continue the same approach to governing he has used for the last six years, which has led to six consecutive budget surpluses.

WATCH | Voting in New Brunswick explained:

Unsure about the voting process in N.B? Here’s what you need to know

1 day ago

Duration 3:16

Who’s eligible to vote? How do you find out what riding you’re in? Can you vote if you’re just studying in New Brunswick? We answer your questions ahead of the upcoming provincial election.

He made only one major promise during the campaign: a two-point reduction to the 15-per-cent harmonized sales tax rate, phased in over the next two years.

Liberal Leader Susan Holt hopes to lead her party back to power after six years on the opposition benches.

She built her campaign around a commitment to address problems in the health-care system and help New Brunswickers with the high cost of living.

And the Green Party, seemingly entrenched as the province's third party on the left of the political spectrum, aims to re-elect its three MLAs who first won in 2018 and secured new terms in 2020.

The NDP, the People's Alliance and the Libertarian parties also have candidates on the ballot in some ridings. Two other parties, the Social Justice Party and the Consensus Party, failed to nominate enough candidates to remain officially registered.

WATCH | Ridings to watch in N.B. this election:

New Brunswick votes: Key ridings explained

5 days ago

Duration 3:25

Want to watch the election like a true analyst? Here’s a look at the six ridings that could determine the outcome of the 2024 election.

There were more than 574,000 New Brunswickers on the list of eligible voters as of Friday afternoon.

Voter turnout in the last two elections was between 66 and 67 per cent.

The polls open at 10 a.m. and close at 8 p.m., and CBC News will have live coverage of the results across all of its platforms.

For complete campaign coverage, visit New Brunswick Votes 2024.